Celebrating the Living Legends of Aviation

Early January marks two things for me: Putting away the Christmas tree and preparing for one of my favorite photography events — the Living Legends of Aviation Awards.

This is a black-tie gala in which the Legends of Aviation honor those who have made significant contributions to aviation. Held every January, many consider this the most prestigious and important recognition event of aviation.

The Beverly Hilton sported special décor for the awards event.

The “Living Legends of Aviation” is a select group of people from around the world, now numbering 97 men and women of extraordinary accomplishment and renown in the aviation arena.

Among the defining criteria used in identifying “Living Legends” are aviation entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, record breakers, astronauts, pilots who have become celebrities, and celebrities who have become pilots.

One can only imagine the flying stories being exchanged by Burt Rutan, Harrison Ford, and Buzz Aldrin at the pre-event.

As the initial group of Legends evolved, these extraordinary people of aviation nominate others to join them, and the list has gradually grown. As Legends take their final flight west, new inductees are selected by their fellow Legends replace them.

2018 marked the 15th awards event, held at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills in the very same ballroom as the Golden Globes.

The event is organized as a fundraiser and my wife (and second photographer) and I have been very fortunate to be regular members of the event photography team for nine years now.

Immersed in the celebrity environment here, it is always interesting to learn of another celebrity who is a pilot. In prior years, actor/pilots attending included Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, and Kurt Russell. This year, famed musician Kenny G was in attendance. Who knew he is an avid pilot and owns a Beaver floatplane?

Clay Lacy’s restored United DC-3 Mainliner provides a backdrop for attendees at the Living Legends pre-event.

Prior to the main award events, there is a private, informal gathering of Legends held the evening before to allow the Legends to have some quality time together and re-connect.

This event is traditionally hosted by Clay Lacy, Bruce McCaw, and Joe Clark and held in one of Clay’s spacious hangars at Van Nuys Airport (VNY). Set with enticing tables of food, surrounded by classic aircraft, it was a cozy intimate event punctuated by the presence of numerous aviation heroes.

The awards event is a fantastic opportunity to see and even meet aviation heavyweights. It has also been very educational in learning from the biographical videos and acceptance speeches how these folks built their lives around aviation, often starting as childhood dreams.

Special remarks made during the program included a memorial tribute to former Living Legend Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, and an impassioned speech from Harrison Ford on House Bill 2997, which seeks to privatize air traffic services in this country.

Living Legends of Aviation Inductees for 2018 are:

H. Ross Perot, Jr.: Best known in aviation circles for undertaking the first helicopter flight around the world in 1982, he also led the 14-year effort to build the USAF Memorial in Washington D.C.

Dr Ulf Merbold: A German astronaut with the European Space Agency who flew on two Space Shuttle missions and one mission to the Mir space station.

Felix Baumgartner: Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper. Best known for his 2012 jump from over 127,000′, exceeding Mach 1 during freefall.

Bruno Gantenbrink: German glider pilot and multiple world champion, as well as a safety advocate for the sport.

Danny Clisham: Renowned airshow announcer marking over 50 years of the craft. He is also a retired American Airlines pilot with more than 30,000 hours flight time.

Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award: Mike Silva, a helicopter pilot and retired Vietnam veteran who returned to active duty in Iraq where he was the oldest Army Medevac pilot in Iraq. He is also known for his 26-year career as an Emmy-award winning aerial broadcaster.

Tyson Weihs and Jason Miller

Eren Ozmen Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Tyson Weihs and Jason Miller, co-founders of ForeFlight, a popular app for piloting and flight operations.

Through the course of the evening, many of these items accumulate numerous signatures from the Living Legends in attendance.

The Legends of Aviation Awards event raises funds for the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a non-profit organization that introduces children to aviation. Kiddie Hawk follows the students as they progress, making scholarships available as Kiddie Hawk pilots enter actual flight training.

Be a better informed pilot.

Join over 110,000 readers each month and get real-world news and information direct to your inbox, each day.

Lockheed Martin is making a fortune due to its manufacturing of the F35. But I contacted a pilot with the rank of Colonel, now retired, that flew the F35 and said it is an absolute dud since its oxygen system does not even work properly and its response time for the pilot is too slow. That made him quit.
Donald Trump is also promoting this falsehood as to how marvelous that plane is. not realizing all of this will bounce back on the U.S. from those other countries purchasing it.